Disseminated Bacille Calmette-Guérin infection at a glance: a mini review of the literature

Introduction Immunodeficient children are at a high risk of disseminated Bacillus Calmette-Guérin [BCG] infection. We assessed the literature on clinical manifestations of BCGosis in children with specific primary immunodeficiencies. Material and methods We conducted a systematic review of clinical practice articles by searching Medline, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar from their inception to date. Results Thirty-seven articles were included regarding BCG vaccination and its dissemination in children with primary immunodeficiencies. Articles on dissemination after intravesicular BCG were excluded from the study. Conclusions Since disseminated BCG vaccination may be the first manifestation of a primary immunodeficiency disease, a comprehensive search for immunological defects in children developing these problems after BCG vaccination seems rational.